Press Kit

Clarisse Abelarde is a Filipino-American contemporary fine artist based in Los Angeles, specializing in figurative paintings that explore themes of identity, displacement, and self-reflection. Her work has been featured in galleries across California and has garnered attention for its visceral exploration of the immigrant experience and the fragmented nature of modern identity.

Clarisse Abelarde is a Filipino-American contemporary fine artist whose practice centers on figurative painting as a means of excavating the complexities of identity, displacement, and self-reflection. Working primarily in oil on canvas, Abelarde creates large-scale works that capture the psychological weight of existing between cultures. Her paintings are characterized by their unflinching examination of the human form—not as idealized representation, but as a site of transformation and becoming. Drawing influence from artists such as Lucian Freud, Lisa Yuskavage, and Egon Schiele, Abelarde's work occupies a space between the visceral and the ethereal. Based in Los Angeles, Abelarde has exhibited throughout California and continues to develop a body of work that speaks to the universal experience of navigating multiple identities in an increasingly fragmented world.

Clarisse Abelarde is a Filipino-American contemporary fine artist whose practice centers on figurative painting as a means of excavating the complexities of identity, displacement, and self-reflection. Working primarily in oil on canvas, Abelarde creates large-scale works that capture the psychological weight of existing between cultures—the constant negotiation between who we were, who we are, and who we are becoming. Her paintings are characterized by their unflinching examination of the human form—not as idealized representation, but as a site of transformation and becoming. Figures emerge from darkness, dissolve into light, fragment and reassemble. This visual language speaks to the immigrant experience of perpetual reinvention, the way identity becomes fluid when one exists in the liminal space between worlds. Drawing influence from artists such as Lucian Freud (for his psychological intensity and honest portrayal of flesh), Lisa Yuskavage (for her bold color and unapologetic female gaze), and Egon Schiele (for his raw emotional expressionism), Abelarde's work occupies a space between the visceral and the ethereal. Her palette moves from deep, consuming voids to luminous, transcendent light—a visual metaphor for the journey from darkness to self-actualization. Based in Los Angeles, Abelarde has exhibited throughout California and continues to develop a body of work that speaks to the universal experience of navigating multiple identities in an increasingly fragmented world. Her work has been collected by private collectors across the United States, and she maintains an active studio practice focused on exploring new dimensions of figurative painting. Abelarde holds a deep commitment to supporting emerging artists, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, and has established initiatives to mentor young creatives in her community.